Marrying and Sponsoring a Somali Citizen
Listen to this articleMarriage to a Somalia Citizen
Every country has its own laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Somali citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps. The Somali government imposes strict requirements on foreigners who marry Somalis as an indirect way of discouraging Somali citizens from moving to other countries.
You must demonstrate to Somali officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven, and that you have never committed any crimes in Somalia. This is done by providing various documents including an Affidavit of Single Status to the Somali government either in Somali or via a Somali embassy.
If you want to bring your Somali spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Somali Marriage Basic Requirements
In order to marry a citizen of Somalia, you must demonstrate to the Somali government that you are eligible to do so. This includes:
- Proof of country of birth
- Proof of single status
- Proof of age requirement
Somali Marriage Ceremony
The marriage ceremony to a Somali citizen can legally take place in Somalia, Canada, or any other country as long as both parties have the necessary visas to enter this country legally. This marriage can then be recognized when applying for a permanent residence or a visitor visa for your Somali spouse. To learn more about cereomny customs, see below.
Family Members
If your Somali spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Somali Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Somali citizen.
List of Somali Consulates in Canada
Canadian Consulate in Somalia
There is no resident Canadian government office in Somalia. You can obtain consular assistance and further consular information from the High Commission of Canada in Nairobi, Kenya
High Commission of Canada in NairobiLimuru Road, Telephone: 254(20)366-3000
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Currency of Somalia
The Currency of Somalia is the Somali shilling.
Calling Canada from Somalia
- 1 – Country Code for Canada
- area code – 3 digit area codes
- phone number – 7 digits
- US to Canada dialling format: 1 ??? ??? ????
List of Canadian area codes
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta) 587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC) 236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario) 249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec) 438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
How to call Somalia from Canada
- 011 – US exit code; dial first for international calls made from the USA or Canada
- 252 – Country Code for Somalia
- Phone Number – 7 digits for most areas; some phone numbers may contain more digits
- US to Somalia international dialling format: 011 252 ??? ????
Time difference with Canada
The time in Somalia is +3 UCT
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours Somalia is Ahead |
# of Hours during DST |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 11 hours | 10 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunavut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 10 hours | 9 hours |
| Saskatchewan | 10 hours | 10 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario) | 9 hours | 8 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 8 hours | 7 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern | 7 hours | 6 hours |
| Newfoundland | 6.5 hours | 5.5 hours |
